A few months ago, in February this year, I took a short break from my studies at The Danish Design School and jumped on a plane to Cuba, leaving the cold, dark and wet Danish winter behind. The plan was pretty simple – although not really a plan – get my hands on a car and then see where the road would take me and who I might meet. With only 15 days to spend, crafting a detailed schedule felt like too much common sense, and I wanted the adventurous sensation of casting myself out into the unknown. Besides, not having a pre–planned route turned out to be an excellent strategy, since road signage was virtually non–existent all over the country. But with no map to decipher at crossroads, I simply followed my whim.
Even though this trip was not for research purposes, one cannot help but pay attention to one´s field of interest and how that particular subject is handled in other parts of the world. This has always been a vital part of my design process and reflection. I was to discover that Cuba would inspire me in a way I had not expected and the trip has given rise multiple future projects and new approaches.
I grew up in Copenhagen, surrounded by the Scandinavian design tradition characterized by rational and rigorous urban spaces which in itself is nothing particularly negative. But having that as my mental baggage, moving around the urban spaces in Havana proved to be a rather powerful experience. As a graphic design student, I found myself deeply inspired and overwhelmed by the extent of street typography and street decoration in general. Whereever you turned your head, there were signs and messages, in various sizes and styles originating in many different eras. Many of them were hand–painted and the majority used the houses and walls as the canvas.  |
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  Using the actual building or walls as canvas instead of printed matter gives the work some unique features. First, it takes on a certain feel as something more permanent and irreversible than a billboard or a printed poster. The artwork absorbs the texture of the wall or whatever surface was used for canvas and it conveys a kind of rawness and an almost tactile character. It´s a lot like the characteristics of silkscreen printing, which is also still a widely used printing technique in Cuba. Then there will be a very rich color since the signs are done with paint rather than CMYK, i.e., with pigments instead of raster. Green becomes remarkable, real–life green, not just a mix of blue and yellow dots. The tactile character is even more enhanced by the inevitable corrosion by the elements and the wide range of different surface materials such as eroded metal, concrete and wood. Each artwork becomes unique and appears very ad hoc. The fact that it was made for this particular place, and not mass–produced, makes it so much more present and genuine.
That way of making signage and decoration is a lot different from what I was used to seeing, and even though I had seen it in pictures __________________________________________________________________________ |
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and movies and so on, the full experience of being there was something entirely stunning – rather than being a viewer in the audience, I was a part of the scene. The artwork is often, regardless of its message, well–made and a source of optimism in the worn down urban environment. In one of the pictures, a seemingly provisional blue sign says "PARE" in bright red and yellow letters against a pale green facade. From my perspective, I see how two sets of contrast color really work together. It´s a great example of just how skilled the Cubans are when it comes to working and treating color, and it shows an awareness and knowledge about color and the effect. This attention to detail is very noticeable in the artwork throughout Cuba, although it seems lacking in other fields.
Cuba´s history and its political situation as more or less isolated from the Western part of the world, have resulted in an interesting development and tradition of arts. Things are still much more analog and clearly handmade, which bestows a humanistic and charming feel. The street lettering is often well kerned and demonstrates great skill. Sometimes though, the kerning is a bit off, the letters a little clumsy and the proportions sketchy. The baseline might be slightly off, but the lack of mechanical precision is part of the general feel. You will see both serif and grotesque as well as several outlines and shadows. All this together creates a very lively and intense typographic expression.
The messages delivered by signs and lettering are also a vital part of the whole experience. Of course there are messages like "no parking" or "stop", but much of the artwork is very powerful propaganda and government praise. Some of it is from before the Cold War, although other signs are more recent. And it is not only in the cities you will find this. You can drive stretches of vast, deserted, poorly maintained roads with potholes big enough to swallow your car, and still see propagandistic signs along every 100 meters of road, despite the fact that there is a serious lack of actual road and directional signs. At least concerning the propaganda signs, the extent and consistency is impressive.
In general, the street artwork of Cuba is an interesting experience reflecting the Cubans´ rich passion and skill, and is a product of a __________________________________________________________________________  |
  complicated historic background. The outcome is a very life–affirming, vital, people–centered source of inspiration for anyone with an interest in the field of graphic design and typography. Actually, it is uplifting for everybody, really... An important element in understanding the art is also an understanding of the everyday conditions for the Cubans who have created it.
Hand–painted lettering is an art form that we rarely ever use nowadays, at least in Europe, but it still has great potential and exciting features. It requires skill and dedication, which is something that can always be seen and felt in the artwork. Recently, a short documentary called "Up There" featured on the video site Vimeo.com, portrayed the few remaining men in the U.S. who still did hand–painted advertisements. It is an interesting film visualizing some of the points I have tried to make here, and it is a wonderful resource for anyone would like to better understand how the method of creation is revealed in the art.
Photos by Rasmus Michaëlis. |
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